Vending-machine.



A. U. MERSHONL VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION man AUG-8. me. RENEWED JULY 20. 1917.

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A. U. MERSHON.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION mm AUGJ. me. RENEWED run 20. 1911.

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ARTHUR U. MEBSHGN. 0F EXCELSIOR SPRINGS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OFONE-FIFTH T0 OTIS HOLMES, ONE-FIFTH TO A. HOWARD, ONE-FIFTH TO A. G. ARNOLD, ONE- FIFTH TO A. D. BLOCH, AND ONE-FIFTH T0 0. L. MERSI-ION, ALL OF EKCELSIOR SPRIN GS, MISSOURI.

VENDING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 268, 19%..

Application filed August 8, 1916, Serial No. 113,794. Renewed July 20, 1917. Serial li o. 181,861.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR U. MERSHON, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Excelsior Springs, in the county of Clay and tate of Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Vending-lVlachines, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in coin or check controlled package vending machines, and the primary object of the invention is to improve and simplify the existing art by producing a machine of this character comprising few simple parts which are positive in their action so that only a single package can be delivered at one operation of the device and so that the device cannot be operated by other than the proper coin or check.

With the above and other objects in view the improvement resides in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts set forth in the following specification and falling within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a machine constructed in accordance with the present invention,

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view through the device taken in a line with one of the arms of the delivery member,

Fig. 3 is a similar sectional view taken centrally through the coin or check chute,

Fig. l is a sectional view approximately onthe line H of Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a sectional view illustrating the manner in which the coin is released from the delivery and actuating means,

Fig. (3 is a perspective view of the delivery means, and

Fig. 7 is a similar view of the actuating means.

The casing 1 of the device may be of any desired material, size and shape that illus trated by the drawings being of a substantially rectangular box-like formation having one of the sides thereof provided with a door 2 whichforms access to the actuating mechanism as well as to the coin tray and is also provided with a hinged top 3 whereby articles to be vended may be inserted in the hopper. The 'top is of course normally locked upon the receptacle and the saidtop is provided with a slot 4 that communicates with the coin or check chute 5. The chute 5 is arranged directly to the rear of the hopper 6, the said hopper being arranged at or adjacent to the front face of the easing and the said front face of the casing terminates a suitable distance above the bottom of the casing, and the lower wall of the opening thus provided has arranged thereon a curved plate 7 providing what may be called a tray, the said tray being arranged directly below the hopper 6 receives the articles from the said hopper when the same are delivered in a manner which will pres' ently be described.

The chute 5'is arranged approximately centrally of the hopper and the rear wall of the hopper forms the front wall of the chute, the said wall preferably being constructed of metal, and thesaid wall to the opposite sides of the chute is slitted both vertically and transversely to provide spring holder members 8. The dividing wall between the hopper and the chute, indicated for distinction by the numeral 9, centrally and at the lower end thereof is provided with a rounded cut-away portion 10 and the rear wall of the 0 chute 5 is likewise provided with a similar cut-away portion 11 alining with the said cut-away portion 10, and the width of these slots corresponds with the diameter of the check or coin employed in operating the bers 13 being spring actuated whereby to force the plate 12 against the rear wall 14: of the chute. The plate 12, at the upper edge thereof, is provided with cam members l515, each of said cams being disposed in a line with each of the spring hold ers 8 and adapted, when the plate 12 is swung rearwardlyof the casing (in a manner and for a purpose which will presently be set forth) to contact with the said holders and force the same to within the hopper 6 whereby to grip the article in the hopper' nearest the delivery end thereof and thus prevent the delivery of more than one article or package at a single operation of the device. The plate 12, at the lower edge 105.

thereof is provided with an angular out- 'wardly extending flange 16, the same formmg a shelf to receive the lowermost package in the chute, or the package directly below the holdermembers 8. The flange 16 is centrally cut-away in a line with the openformed with; an angular cam-shapedextension 20, and this extension is adapted to fric tionally contact with the upper edge of the curvedtray 7 whereby to retain the delivery means inopen or delivery position to assure the package being received upon the tray, It is, of course, to be understood that the arms 1 9 as muss the shelf of the delivery means are suitably covered by the outer plate of the casing, so that the device can not be fraudulently actuated. V p

. The. rear plate12 of the delivery means, central of thecoin or check receiving opening in the shelf thereof is providedwith a pair of depending spaced fingers 2-1-21, while the numeralQQ designates a hood or shield member .disposedto therear of the hopper and the chute and having its upper curved edge coimected with both the hopper and chute. This hood22 at the upper and curved portion thereof is provided wlth an elongated slot 23, and secured to the upper portion of the hood or to the rear of the coin. chute is a spring member 24; that is provided with a rounded or curved portion 25 that is projected through the slot 23and the rounded portion of the said spring 2-3 is adapted tobe received between the fingers QI'WllQIl the delivery means is swung to delivery position to eject the coin from between the flanges or extensions 17-17 I provided in the slot of the shelf 16and to allow. the coin to drop in the portion ofthe device between the'tray 7 and the hood 22 .into what may be termed :the coin-receiving portion of the device.

. Theactuating means comprises a substan tially U-shaped bar, the lower member 26 of which having its inner edge centrally notched in a line with the openings 10 and 11 as well as with the opening in the flange orfshelf 16 of the delivery means. The angular side arms" 26 .of the actuating memaloer or means are pivotally secured, as at 27,10 the rear of the hopper and to the rear of the chute, andthe pivot 27 may provide an extension of the pivot member which hingedly connects the delivery :means or member ,to the device. One of the side members 26 is provided with an angular extension '28 which has its end outturned, as at 29, to provide the operating handle for the actuating means, the said handle projecting through a curved slot 30 in one of the sides of the casing.

The slot in the member 26 of the actuating device is so arranged that the inner wall provided thereby will contact with the lower edge of the check or coin 18, and the grip ping engagement of the coin or check with the members 17-17 will cause the delivery means'to be swung inwardly of the casing when the handle 29 of the actuating means is operated to move the said actuating means in such direction, and the contacting engagement of the coin by the spring releasing 'member 24-;will eject the coin, as previously described. The actuating member or means is under the influence of a spring 31 whereby the same is normally moved to coinreceiving, position and the member 26 of the said actuating means will, when pressure upon the handle is relieved, engage with the cam 20 .upon one of the arms 21 to ,ino'i'c the same out of frictional contact with the upper edge of the tray 7, thus pern'iitting the springs of the delivery means to return the same to initial position. It should be stated that the arms 19 are constructed of some suitable spring material whereby to insure the co-enga'ging of the cam 20 with the upper edge of the tray 7.

The coin chute is, of course, of a size to receive only the proper coin or check for actuating the device. Therefore a check of a greater diameter than the required diameter will not be admitted to within the chute, while should a check of a smaller diameter than that required in the proper operation of the devicebe passed through the chute the same would also pass through the notched portion of the actuating member and be delivered to within the coin tray or receptacle, and from the above it is believed that a further description of the construction and operation of the device is not necessary.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1.111 a check controlled package vending machine having a hopper through which the eacka 'es ravitate and a check chute arranged at the rear of the hopper, of spring holder members in the rear wall of the hopper, a delivery member hmgedly secured in the casing to the rear of the chute and hopper, cam members upon the delivery member disposed to contact with the holder members to force the same inward of the hopper when the delivery member is swung to delivery position, said delivery member including a shelf disposed below the chute and below the hopper and said shelf having a notched portion registering with the inner side walls of the chute, a pivoted actuating member, spring means for normally swing coin when the actuating member and the delivery member are swung to uncover the mouth of the chute and the mouth of the hopper.

2. In a check controlled package vending machine, the combination with a casing having a hopper and a check chute therein, and a curved tray disposed below the hopper and chute, of spring holder members in the rear wall of'the hopper, a delivery member including a plate which is hingedly secured to the rear wall of the hopper, cam members upon said plate disposed to engage with the holder members to force the same to within the chute when the delivery member is swung to delivery position, means, comprising springs for normally sustaining the delivery member in one position, said delivery member including a shelf which is disposed below the chute and hopper, curved spring arms upon the shelf one having its outer surface provided with a cam, and which is adapted to contact with the upper edge of the tray when the said member is swung to delivery position, said tray having a notch disposed in a line with the open ing of the chute to receive and engage with a check, an actuating means including a hinged member having an element disposed below the notched portion of the shelf and said element having its inner surface notched whereby to engage with the edge of the check and to lock the actuating means with the delivery member, a handle for the actuating member, and a spring member within the casing disposed to contact with the coin to eject the same from betweenthe delivery and actuating members, when the said members are swung to uncover the hopper and chute, and said actuating member adapted to contact and release the cam from engage ment with the tray when the actuating mem-v ber is returned to' its normal position.

3. In a check controlled package vending machine, the combination with a package hopper and a check chute, and said hopper and chute having their lower edges provided with alining rounded openings, of spring package holder members upon the rear wall of the hopper,a delivery member including a plate having spring hinges connecting the same with the rear wall of the hopper, said plate having cam members arranged to contact with the holder members to force the same to within thehopper when the delivery member is swung to delivery position, the delivery member also including a shelf which is disposed below the hopper and chute, said shelf having a central opening, and the rear plate of the delivery member having a pair of spaced depending fingers arranged centrally of the opening, a holder member comprising side arms and a connecting member for the arms, a pivot connecting the arms to the rear of the chute, one of said arms being extended angularly and having its end outturned to provide a handle, the connecting member for the arms being centrally notched upon its inner edge and whereby the actuating member is locked to the delivery member, and a curved spring member disposed to the rear of the delivery and actuating member and adapted to be received between the delivery and actuating members, when the said members are swung in the direction of the spring.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

ARTHUR U. MERSHON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of mania,

Washington, D. 83 

